Toothprints: Toothprint DNA Dental Impressions

In honor of Children’s Dental Health Month, we wanted to tell you about Toothprints, a new free service we will be offering to all of our pediatric patients.

Toothprint DNA Dental ImpressionsToothprints is a patented, arch-shaped thermoplastic dental impression wafer.  When your child bites into the softened Toothprint wafer, it records individual tooth characteristics, tooth position within the arch and the upper to lower jaw relationship plus collects DNA in saliva- all important information for identification.

We will then write your child’s name on the zippered plastic bag provided and have you keep the Toothprint Dental Impression at home in a safe place. I keep mine with my child’s shot records and fingerprint kit. It has been recommended to take Toothprint dental impressions at age 3, age 8 and age 12, however, we can take them each year if a child’s dentition changes significantly from year to year.

According to Peter Banks, Director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, when Toothprints is taken, sufficient proteins in the saliva remain on the wafer from which a DNA test can be successfully performed for yet a second means of identification from Toothprints. He also states that, since the Toothprints wafer is sealed in a “zipper”-type plastic bag, enough scent remains for a trained dog to identify and track with it.

Toothprints: Toothprint DNA Dental Impressions“Law enforcement officials rarely have ID materials available for teenagers, yet teens are the most likely to become lost, missing or abducted. Toothprints offers a very powerful recovery and identification component of any child’s identification kit.” – David Harte, DMD

We hope that you will take advantage of this new and potentially life-saving service!

The season of LOVE is upon us and we are counting down to Valentine’s Day quickly!  Consider giving your loved one the GIFT of a bright white smile! For the month of February we are offering Zoom Whitening pens for $15 (Originally $20).  Patients coming in for a visit during the week of Valentines are in store for a special something to show our gratitude!

 

In addition to our new Toothprints service, we will be giving away a Child’s Sonicare Toothbrush.  Come in today to join in the raffle!